Tina Bitangcol spends her days doing what she loves: when the Edmonton girl shouldn’t be working as a registered nurse in labour and supply, she’s sharing her ardour for all issues pre- and post-partum to hundreds of thousands of followers on-line because the comedic, enlightening Mama Nurse Tina.
“What I’ve turn out to be actually obsessed with is educating and educating individuals methods to advocate and reduce start trauma and have a extra educated, constructive start expertise,” the mom of 4 mentioned.
“I really like speaking about it — I may speak about all of it day.”
She didn’t intend to turn out to be a effectively of data, however by likelihood and within the trenches of motherhood, Bitangcol found there was an urge for food for evidence-based being pregnant and childrearing recommendation.
“I really began with mother comedy after which I put up, I feel, one video about labour and supply and childbirth — and it went fairly massive.”
Edmonton nurse Tina Bitangcol making an academic labour and supply video for her social media accounts “Mama Nurse Tina.”
Equipped by Tina Bitangcol
It was her lightbulb second.
“There’s this big want for data these days. And I used to be like, ‘You’ve the data. You’ve a extremely enjoyable technique to ship it. Folks appear to actually relate to it.’
“I simply type of ran with it.”
That was in 2022.
Bitangcol began on TikTok, earlier than including accounts on Instagram, Fb and YouTube — the latter of which she mentioned is her favorite.
“It’s an unbelievable platform for type of longform, actually, actually good data for individuals to seize on to and watch via and have that to arrange for his or her start.”
Mama Nurse Tina shouldn’t be about euphemisms or flowery “what to anticipate if you’re anticipating” language, as Bitangcol calls it.
She’s trustworthy, blunt, and humorous.
“For me, that ‘what to anticipate,’ that flowery stuff, once I was pregnant — I’ve been pregnant 4 instances — was type of a snoozefest for me,” she mentioned. “I actually take pleasure in including the comedy in there, to permit extra individuals to narrate to it and make the most of that data to have an empowered start.”
Mama Nurse Tina tells ladies they are going to poop themselves throughout supply (“You don’t must apologize. This occurs on a regular basis!“) and that they don’t want to fret about trying put collectively.
“It’s not a magnificence contest. Should you are available in and your legs usually are not shaved, your toenails usually are not completely manicured and your woohoo shouldn’t be trimmed into an ideal do — lady! Me neither and I’m not 9 months pregnant!” she tells followers in one in all her movies.
Edmonton nurse Tina Bitangcol making an academic labour and supply video for her social media accounts “Mama Nurse Tina.”
Equipped by Tina Bitangcol
It’s the relatable, no-nonsense, tongue-in-cheek humour that Bitangcol mentioned many parents-to-be are looking for as they embark on a life-changing journey nobody can actually perceive till they’re in it.
“Being pregnant and labour is frightening for lots of people. Should you haven’t performed it, you haven’t been round it, it may be actually scary,” she mentioned.
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She mentioned bringing a little bit of humour into the scenario might help individuals relate and digest the data they’re looking for.
“They really feel comfy listening to it versus being like, ‘Oh my God, what am I studying about?’ In order that’s why I put the comedy in there. And likewise — that’s my character.”
It’s clearly working. Her Mama Nurse Tina accounts have a big following: 513,000 on TikTok, 360,000 on Fb, 352,000 on YouTube, and 245,000 on Instagram. Mixed, it’s over 1.5 million subscribers.
As is the case with all content material creators in Canada, she doesn’t obtain any cash from TikTok (Canadians are ineligible for the platform’s profitable creator fund that pays out individuals in locations like america.) She mentioned she additionally doesn’t get cash from Instagram.
“So that you’re mainly simply giving your time and your effort with none monetary positive factors. When you’re in a position to type of create partnerships with manufacturers, you then’re in a position to herald cash that means. However for views itself, it’s a non-paid gig.
“It’s only a labour of affection.”
She does, nonetheless, generate income from views off YouTube and Fb.
Bitangcol began nursing 17 years in the past within the emergency room — the place her doctor husband nonetheless works — earlier than transitioning over to labour and supply.
She went to an off-the-cuff schedule as soon as their youngsters arrived, explaining with baby care and her husband’s shift work, choosing up shifts right here and there was the very best transfer for his or her household life.
It now additionally offers Bitangcol time to create content material for Mama Nurse Tina — a gig she says is extra financially profitable than nursing ever might be.
She uploads a video every day, and mentioned there was a studying curve to find out what labored and what didn’t.
“I discovered that our consideration spans are so, so brief that you simply actually must seize any person in these first few seconds to really have them have interaction with the video.
“Your video might be wonderful (however) should you don’t seize them in that first little bit, they’re simply going to scroll on to the subsequent.”
For Bitangcol, creating participating content material begins with good high quality lighting and sound, plus an aesthetic individuals are drawn to. That mentioned, she information most of her content material in a nook below her basement stairs.
“I feel anyone can do it, when you have your individual character and your individual shtick and you’ve got a little bit little bit of area — my studio is teeny tiny,” she mentioned.
“When you have one thing to say and you may say it together with your entire chest, then get on the market and do it.”
Edmonton nurse Tina Bitangcol’s basement studio the place she information among the instructional labour and supply movies posted to her social media accounts “Mama Nurse Tina.”
Equipped by Tina Bitangcol
So what are her viewers most thinking about?
“A number of movies that I do about start trauma often go pretty viral and I put numerous effort into these movies as a result of they’re tremendous essential to me. I feel it’s actually essential to speak about these issues.”
Different subjects her viewers relate to vary from methods to go to the washroom after having a child — a course of involving peri bottles, mesh underwear, ice packs and in a single day pads, witch hazel wipes and numbing sprays or lotions — to easily methods to change a child’s diaper.
“Individuals are consuming that up and also you suppose that is widespread data, however it’s actually not.
“Except you’ve performed it — and that’s the identical with something in childbirth — except you’ve performed that factor earlier than, it’s a totally new space for individuals.”
Her largest demographic, not surprisingly, is ladies aged 18 to 44. Bitangcol mentioned she often will get acknowledged when out and about within the Edmonton space.
“It’s been the wildest experience,” she laughed. “I’ll run into individuals they usually’ll be like, ‘Do I do know you?’ And I’ll be like, ‘Are you pregnant? Did you simply have a child?’ They usually’ll be like, ‘Oh yeah!’”
Her largest recommendation for first-time dad and mom: do your analysis and be ready. Learn the books, watch movies like hers, decide the brains of fellow dad and mom, and the largest of all, take pre-natal programs.
“It’s actually helpful to offer you that basis of understanding as to what’s taking place in your physique,” she mentioned.
“Encompass your self with actually constructive people who find themselves there to assist you — not simply to observe you’ve got a child — after which simply take data in about constructive experiences.”
Edmonton nurse Tina Bitangcol making an academic labour and supply video for her social media accounts “Mama Nurse Tina.”
Equipped by Tina Bitangcol
Past educating others, Bitangcol mentioned she’s made a few of her finest friendships by being a parenting content material creator.
“I’ve met like-minded ladies who’re passionate, who love what they do as effectively, who’re on the market to genuinely assist individuals have a greater birthing expertise.”
She now works full-time as a content material creator however Bitangcol mentioned nursing remains to be her important ardour. Plus, she feels with the intention to keep credibility along with her viewers, she must be an lively, working health-care skilled — even when solely on an off-the-cuff foundation proper now as a consequence of her household’s hectic schedule.
“To really feel prefer it actually issues, I need to have the ability to say I’m a bedside nurse,” she mentioned. “I don’t suppose I’d ever give that up fully.”
Past the day by day movies, Bitangcol does public talking about start trauma, has launched a web site and is placing collectively two programs on breastfeeding and pre-natal training.
“I’ve numerous ardour initiatives and it’s actually cool to have the time in my life to discover them.
“I’m tremendous grateful. I really feel tremendous blessed.”
